Blood pressure is an important indicator of the normal functioning of the human body. This value, which demonstrates how much blood is pushed out by the heart muscle, exerts pressure on the walls of blood vessels.
The upper value - systolic blood pressure - shows the pressure in the arteries at the moment when the heart is compressed and pushes blood into the arteries. It depends on the compression force of the heart.
The lower value - diastolic blood pressure - shows pressure in the arteries at the time of relaxation of the heart muscle. This is the minimum pressure in the arteries, it displays the resistance of the peripheral vessels.
Blood pressure depends on many conditions: time of day, a person’s mental state, taking various stimulant drugs or medications that increase or decrease pressure. With unusual physiological stress, or emotional stress, the value of blood pressure increases. There are a lot of ways to understand without increased blood pressure monitor pressure.
Hypertension
Hypertension is a condition of the body in which blood pressure is higher than 140/90. Basically, the process is caused by some pathology:
- excess weight;
- thyroid pathology;
- kidney disease
- fluctuations in hormonal levels;
- heredity;
- problems in the work of the cardiovascular system.
In addition, constant stressful conditions, alcohol abuse and smoking can provoke hypertension. In addition, hormonal substances and the frequent use of unhealthy foods - fried, salty, fatty, carbonated and caffeinated drinks can become a factor. In the early stages of progression, hypertension is very difficult to determine, since it does not have obvious manifestations.
When the disorder begins to develop, the following symptoms occur:
- discomfort in the chest;
- heart palpitations;
- throbbing and pain in temples and nape;
- feeling of nausea;
- darkening in the eyes;
- weakness;
- dyspnea;
- blood from the nose.
With such signs, you must immediately seek medical help. If all the required measures are not taken in a timely manner, a person may develop a hypertensive crisis, which shines with such grave consequences as: cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary edema, heart attack.
Hypotension
A disease in which blood pressure is lower than 100/70 is called hypotension. It occurs in the following cases:
- heredity;
- head injuries;
- lack of sleep and fatigue;
- pregnancy;
- tuberculosis;
- diabetes;
- VVD;
- hormonal disruptions.
Hypotensives often suffer from sleep disturbances. Throughout the day, patients with a similar diagnosis feel depressed, apathy, overwork, and by the evening they begin a period of energy.
The main signs of low blood pressure include:
- drowsiness;
- increased asthenicity;
- bad memory;
- increased sweating;
- heart palpitations with various loads;
- digestion problems;
- weather dependence;
- pre-syncope.
For a sufficiently long time, this disease, like hypertension, may not manifest itself. If the first signs occur, you should immediately consult a doctor. The disease is dangerous because it can provoke oxygen starvation of the brain and other organs.
Pressure Tips
How to understand increased or decreased pressure? In order for the measuring device to show a more accurate result, it is necessary to observe separate requirements for measuring blood pressure and preparing for the measurement procedure:
- Before measuring the pressure, you need to stay calm for some time, avoiding activity and stress;
- exclude alcohol, coffee, strong tea, smoking thirty minutes before measuring pressure;
- provide a stationary state at the time of the procedure;
- provide a two-three-centimeter gap between the bend of the elbow and the cuff;
- Do not be anxious, do not talk, do not move during pressure measurement;
- you should sit evenly, with your hand to measure pressure on the table without tension, legs should be feet on the floor, not in a cross state.
It is necessary to empty the bladder first, since it is possible to understand the increased or decreased pressure in a person only with absolute physiological comfort.
Measurement of blood pressure for systematic monitoring of the body with hypertension or hypotension must be carried out in the morning and in the evening. If you need to determine blood pressure at the time of deterioration, you need to relax as much as possible and try not to worry.
People over 50 are advised to monitor their own pressure constantly to prevent severe diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Auscultatory diagnosis
With the auscultatory method, a tonometer is used, in the kit of which there is a cuff and a phonendoscope. The cuff is worn on the forearm, fixing it in a stationary state. The phonendoscope is located in the ulnar fossa. Listening to the pulsation is done through the ear tubes. When measuring pressure, with the help of a pear, pump air into the cuff, and then gradually lower it, slowly unscrewing the plug. The pulsation moments that are heard in the phonendoscope correspond to the values on the manometer: the first pulse beat and the last one are recorded.
Palpation diagnostics
You can find out the increased or decreased pressure without a tonometer by palpation. It involves the use of a sleeper tonometer and palpation of the radial artery. Like the auscultatory method, air is pumped into the cuff and the pulse value is determined when it is lowered. Only the rhythm is determined not with the help of a phonendoscope, but through palpation of the artery and sensation of pulsation of the vessel. This method is recommended for those who do not know how to find out whether the blood pressure is increased or decreased, when measuring for children, and if the rhythm through the phonendoscope is barely audible.
Oscillometric Diagnostics
How to determine high or low blood pressure with a headache? Oscillometric diagnostics will help you. It involves the use of a tonometer, but does not require listening through a phonendoscope. The device displays the pulse and pressure values on the screen. Such tonometers are mechanical and automatic. Mechanical ones involve the use of pears, while automatic ones pump air by pressing the "Start" button on the device’s screen. Automatic blood pressure monitors are worn on the wrist.
Hypertension treatment
High blood pressure, regardless of its severity level, should be treated. Such a diagnosis leads to significant changes in almost all organs and systems of the body. The necessary therapy should be prescribed by a doctor. It is he who assesses all the likely risk factors, selects the appropriate medications and sets up the appropriate medical examinations and procedures. First of all, you need to know how to determine high or low blood pressure at home. In case of deviations from the norm, be sure to consult a doctor.
A tangible benefit for improving the well-being of a person will be the reduction in the amount of salt in food, abstinence from smoking and excessive drinking of alcohol, increased physical activity (after consulting a doctor), the ability to rest and relax after a hard day. For each person, personal therapy prescribed by a competent doctor should be developed. Drug therapy for hypertension is necessary with a persistent increase in pressure at a level above 160 by 90 millimeters. Hg. Art. For patients with concomitant pathologies (cardiac abnormalities and renal failure), characteristics from 130 to 85 millimeters are considered unsafe. Hg. Art. and higher.
Hypotension Treatment
If you already know how to know the increased or decreased pressure at home, you must constantly monitor the result. If the indicators are low, measures must be taken. Among substances that increase blood pressure there is not much abundance and variety. The most popular are Citramon, sodium caffeine-benzoate, tincture of Eleutherococcus and ginseng, Chinese magnolia vine, Pantocrine.
If a person began to fix the signs or symptoms of low blood pressure, then first of all, you need to see a general practitioner. He will find the right remedies and prescribe the required treatment, taking into account absolutely all indications. Self-administration of any medications can very negatively affect the state of health and serve as a reason for a whole range of adverse effects.
Conclusion
Blood pressure should be measured to monitor the condition of the body, as well as to prevent heart disease. Now you know how to understand high or low blood pressure based on symptoms and measurement techniques. If you feel unwell, the first thing you need to do is measure the pressure level to take special medications. In addition, when measuring blood pressure, certain rules must be observed so that the tonometer readings are extremely clear.